He received formal training in infectious diseases and molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis and has more than 15 years of experience directing global product development and registration programs. He also has extensive experience in pharmacovigilance and health informatics as well as the evaluation and exchange of safety data. He has served with other experts and senior scientists on many consensus panels, including ICH, CIOMS, ISO, and HL7.

Dr Stella Blackburn. MB BS, MA, MSc, FRCP(Ed), FISPE, FFPM, DLSHTM, Stella studied medicine at Cambridge and Guys, working in hospital medicine before joining the pharma industry. She has worked in PhV and pharmacoepi for 35 years: in industry (11+ years) as a regulator (16+ years) and CRO (9 years). Following her MSc in Epidemiology from LSHTM, she co-developed their course in PhV and Pharmacoepi. In 1997 she joined the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Stella developed EU strategy and policy on risk management, was lead writer on the EU guidelines on this and was part of the core team implementing the 2010 PhV legislation and ENCePP. She is/was on the CIOMS IX/XI/XIII working parties and is a member of the CIOMS Executive Committee.